St Mary Woolnoth (also known as St Mary the Nativity)⁷⁴⁶⁷

Brief Description

In front of the church entrance is a small semi-circular paved forecourt with some planting and seating, bordered by fine railings.

History

The site may once have been that of an ancient pre-Christian temple, fragments of which were discovered in 1716 when St Mary's was rebuilt. Possibly named after someone called Wulfnoth, although other explanations are that it was so-called to distinguish it from St Mary Woolchurch, a nearby church destroyed in the Great Fire in whose churchyard there was a beam for weighing wool, Woolnoth derived from Wool-nought. The church was rebuilt by Nicholas Hawskmoor in the early-18th century. For many years the rector was Revd John Newton, friend of the poet William Cowper, and he was buried in a vault in the church in 1807. The crypt was later used as the booking hall for the new Bank station built alongside the church in 1897.

Visitor Facilities